Dark Suits
by AndSheWasBeautiful
Summary: In which Elena of the Turks is discovered, led on and eventually chosen by three men in clandestine, dark suits. E/R - E/T
1. Introduction

**Dark Suits.**

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><p><strong>i. a star shone at the hour of our meeting.<strong>

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><p>She shook white blonde hair back from her eyes, and cursed the fact she'd lost the last of her hair grips on the obstacle course in gym last Monday. Her finger poised on the trigger and she took a deep breath steeling herself, and felt any tension melt from her shoulders.<p>

Feet spread equally apart, she locked her eyes on her target and her finger snapped the trigger back.

Her shot rang through the empty training room, hitting its target with acute accuracy. The bull's-eye splintered and she let her arm drop so the gun lingered at her side.

Elena blew the little wisps of hair that had fallen into her eyes away again, and sighed.

According to the automatic, top of the range technology Shinra had established to measure the accuracy of the shots, she was off by 0.999mm.

In her anger, she pulled her hand guns from the holsters on her thighs, and reset the system. The old target was removed, and new, human shaped ones emerged before her, each with a clear red bull's-eye emblazoned on them. She steadied herself and shot one-two-three, again, one-two-three, again, one-two-three, reload, one-two-three.

She holstered her hand guns and checked her score. The same damned less-than-a-millimetre difference, but if you wanted to be a Turk then you needed dead on every time.

She swore angrily, and turned, untying her long blonde hair and shaking it out as she headed towards the showers.

She deserved to be a Turk far more than Cissnei. Fair enough, she hadn't been old enough to apply at that point, but the fact someone as ditzy as Cissnei was allowed to become a Turk? It made Elena's temper crackle and sizzle dangerously, so she had to employ her training to remain calm.

But... Cissnei wasn't a problem anymore. There were only three Turks currently which was unusual, as far as Elena was concerned. Three male Turks, she added to her minds babble, a small smile creeping onto her face. They'd definitely be more inclined to choose a woman as their new recruit, wouldn't they?

As Elena stepped into the showers of the Shinra Academy for Gifted Adolescents, she tried to think rationally. They _weren't_ looking for a new recruit. Director Lazard had been adamant about that. Before he... And that idiot_ Heidegger _who'd taken over could barely say "Boo!" to a goose, so there was no sense in her wasting her time listening to his sexist remarks. Heidegger believed the girls were useless, and his need for the males to become new SOLDIERs far surpassed his need for women. No wonder Scarlet hated him so much.

The steamy shower hit Elena's back, and she sighed in content. Terrorist attacks were getting worse as of late, weren't they? Surely the first place the Turks would come looking for a new recruit would be SAGA?

Elena's honey hued eyes burned with resolve as she towelled herself down and braided her hair carefully. No matter what, she would become a Turk. If those so called Eco-Terrorists thought they were going to get away with what they'd done to her...

Elena stood and sighed, leaving the changing room, and wishing that the tears that would have spilled back when she was 9, back when she had just started SAGA would spill again. But that would mean her emotions got the better of her. Turks didn't have time for emotion.

"...na! Elena!"

The girl in question rubbed sleep from her eyes and opened them slowly to her dorm abuzz with other eighteen year old girls. Sara, her closest friend stood above her, calling her name loudly.

"Huh...? What's wrong...?" Elena asked groggily, a smile worming its way onto her face at the look of impatience gracing Sara's face.

"There's nothing wrong!" she cried, standing back as Elena threw her legs from her bed and stretched. Glancing around,d she frowned.

"Then why's everyone in their gear? It's a Saturday."

Sara rolled her eyes impatiently and sat on the bed, positively oozing excitement.

"The Turks are coming!"

Elena's heart skipped a beat and a smile immediately lit her own face up.

"What? When? How do you know?" she gushed, yanking her comb from her bedside table and dragging it through her messy hair. Sara smiled broadly and said,

"You went to bed early last night and didn't hear it at recreation, and I forgot you didn't know! The Turks are visiting the boys and girls training grounds, apparently just to look at the talent, but rumour has it Tseng's interested in a new member – take some of the strain off of jobs!"

Elena had already pulled her training gear on, khaki pants and black vest top tucked neatly in. She was hauling on her heavy black boots when she glanced surely at Sara.

"We've got to concentrate!" she said brightly, lacing her boots. Sara rolled her eyes, and poked Elena in the shoulder.

"Why are you always so serious when it comes to the Turks? They probably won't even choose a girl," she said bitterly, thinking of the last time they'd selected a Turk from SAGA. "I mean, look how Cissnei turned out." Elena frowned at that and pulled her dog tag over her head – at Shinra they used them for ID. The Turks would refer to them by their number – if they referred to them at all.

"I'm not!" Elena grinned again, lying through her teeth as she nudged Sara. The other girl's eyes tightened before she stood. "I'm just really nervous."

That wasn't a lie. This was her chance, her opportunity to even get near the Turks. Damn that 0.999mm!

Elena smiled, and tried to react in her normal bubbly fashion as people greeted her on her way to the auditorium, her smile not quite reaching the glittering expanse of her honey eyes. She checked her ponytail was tightly back and made a mental note to buy hair grips the next time they had public recreation. Taking her place in the line of senior students, Elena steeled herself as Heidegger walked onto the stage and acknowledged his pupils. He practically made the stage shake, and his nostrils flared as he shoved his thumbs in his pockets and watched them with beady eyes.

"Good morning, Senior students. As you have been informed, we have some very special guests this morning! None other than the Turks! Please, show your appreciation," he said brashly, moving to the side as said people emerged on stage. Elena clapped politely as directed and watched in awe as the people that would shape her future flocked onto the stage.

She'd only caught a glimpse of the leader, Tseng, once when he came to collect Cissnei a few years past. Now, he stepped graciously onto the stage, with an air of dignity so acute it seemed to ripple off him. His shiny dark hair was pulled back in a tail at the back of his head, his calculating Wutainese eyes dark and glittering like sapphires, scanning the crowd carefully. He was smiling slightly, and Elena's mouth dropped a little at the majesty he carried himself with.

Next, came a completely bald man, taller than any Elena had ever met, and as broad as Heidegger – only his width was given from broad shoulders and muscular arms. He wore shiny dark sunglasses that concealed his eyes from view, and his ears were pierced heavily, all the way up from his lobes, until there was no ear left. His nose was long and sharp, and he regarded his audience with a stoic silence that frightened Elena.

Finally, the last member of the Turks slouched on stage. His hair was bright, fiery red, wild at the top and tied with an elastic band into a long rat's tail at the nape of his neck. His skin was pasty white, his cheekbones high. Upon those cheekbones were vivid red tattoos, crescents that framed his eyes. And his eyes... Elena watched mystified as he blinked, eyes darting around the room. A strange mixture of blues and greens, they were aquamarine and oh-so bright. She'd only seen eyes like that on SOLDIERs... and even then, they weren't nearly so green. At that moment, said eyes locked with her own.

They paused for only a fraction of a second, enough to make Elena's heart quicken to the pace of a hummingbird's and the third Turk grinned sharply, his teeth pearly and menacing.

All three of them were wearing the dark suits that Elena dreamed of. Darkest of night black, that almost hurt your eyes. They were the suits of men and women who were great. They were the suits that if you saw them coming, you knew you would never live to see the light of day again. And although the third man wore his entirely inappropriately, Elena thought, with his shirt tail hanging out, and his tie absent completely – all three held a threat within them, merely from the clothes they had donned that morning.

Tseng stepped up to Heidegger's podium, and cleared his throat.

"Good morning," he said. His accent was far from accented with his Wutainese heritage, but there was a twinge to the end of his words that gave his nationality away. "My name is Tseng, and I am leader of the Turks. We are a special group, hand selected to carry out the important, and life-threatening task of guarding the life of President Shinra. Every day, we must risk our own lives to ensure nothing befalls that of the President. Missions are any time, be it night or day – and we do not complain. Holidays are few and far between. It is not our job to relax. Families are for the faint of heart – they only block you on your way to greatness, or become useful ploys to your enemies. You will be feared, and hated by many for what you do – in protecting the life of another. It is a trying task becoming a Turk. And this career path is only for those who are absolutely fit."

Tseng paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "Do not be mistaken," he said slowly. "Neither I, nor my fellow Turks are looking for recognition, awards or praise for what we do. We are not concerned with others opinions of ourselves, and it is not in our interests to glory hunt. We simply do what we must do to protect the President. Why? I think we each have our own reasons for being here. Ultimately, I am not interested. The only concern I have, is the survival of our President ─"

"And the pay's pretty good too!"

The entire hall swivelled to look at the red-headed Turk who had just piped up with the inappropriate comment. Elena frowned at him, as she had been deeply interested in Tseng's speech. The Turk leader in question gave the red-head a Look, before saying curtly, "Yes. Thank you, Reno."

Turning back to the audience, he continued.

"This is Reno – a man whom many do not believe is fit to be a Turk. He is a perfect example. I do not care what you are like – whether you are kind, funny, angry. As long as you can get the job done without question or issue – then I will accept you. This is Rude. He is an expert in hand to hand combat and will be watching you closely during your session of hand to hand later in the day. Myself and my colleagues will be observing you throughout the day. I am not promising we will select anyone to join us today. But impress us this time – and when we are interested, you will stand out in our minds. And be sure to always remember the motto of the Turks. 'Ubi amici vanus, et inimici solum habes.' Thank you."

As Tseng stepped down, shooting Reno an angered look, he was applauded louder than before, to which he smiled lightly and nodded in appreciation. Elena watched him in awe, before leaving the auditorium under Heidegger's direction. She steeled herself once more.

She wouldn't fail the Turks. She fit the description perfectly.

She would not fail the clandestine dark suits.

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><p><em>When friends are futile, enemies are the only things you have.<em>

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><p><strong>Thank you very much for reading (: A big thank you to RenoLuvver, who basically beta'd this for me (: She's a lord. Serious. Reviews, are love (:<strong>


	2. Application

**Dark Suits.**

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><p><strong>ii. the fool shouts loudly, thinking to impress the world.<strong>

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><p>Wiping the sweat from her brow, Elena focused again. She reloaded, and slowly turned.<p>

The training room was dark, a simulator made to look like an alley in the slums of Midgar. Elena backed against the wall of the alley, and drew a sharp and silent breath.

A shuffle in the corner and she froze, becoming hyper aware of her surroundings and slowly turned, aiming her gun in the direction of the noise. She took a breath and after seeing a glimmer of the simulated armour on the simulated thug, she shot.

The bullet hit its target with a definite clang, and the room was immediately flooded with lights. Elena blinked sharply, her eyes immediately adjusting to the stark contrast, and holstered her gun, as the wild monster launched itself on her. She elbowed it from her in a swift move, before running towards the next that was coming face on.

Swiping her grenades up in the palms of her hands, she threw them towards the monster, blinding it with a flash bomb. It screeched and swiped blindly at her with razor sharp talons. Elena danced from their reach, and turned to the other monster, which was bounding its way back towards her. She grabbed her hand guns and shot deftly at it, putting holes in its face and upper body. The other blindly leapt at her, and she kicked it hard in the chin, sending it flying backwards.

Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she took a breath, before the first monster made another attempt at her, racing forth and trying to snatch her wrist. Elena dodged elegantly, before jumping behind it and throwing three grenades, destroying the monster. The creature she had blinded stumbled close once more, and as she froze, it sniffing to try and pick up her scent, she thought.

The type of creature it was made its sense of smell pitiful. Tiptoeing up behind the beast, she pulled her dagger from her stomach, unsheathed it, and leaning down, slit the monster's throat quickly and cleanly. It writhed in her grip, and the blood spattered her pants, before it fell limp. Elena stepped back, triumphant.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she determined it had taken her 3 minutes 12 seconds to complete the course. She grinned, proud with the timing. The lights dimmed, and the window to the outer ground became visible. She paled as she saw Tseng observing her closely, chin slightly tilted and she wondered what he thought. She nodded, slowly, and gave a funny little wobbly smile. He didn't return it, but the glitter in his eye told Elena he didn't mind. At that moment, Reno came from nowhere and prodded him, drawing Tseng away from her.

Elena's face fell, and she raced out the door of the training ground to see the Turks looking through the window of Sara's simulator, speaking in hushed tones. Elena clenched her fist, and gritted her teeth. Dammit! Sara didn't deserve to be a Turk! She didn't have a reason! Tseng said everyone had a reason, and she was just a rich kid placed here because her father was a Shinra CEO.

Elena took a long pull of water, splashing some on her face and frowning.

If she didn't impress them now, she was going to blow them away on the combat course.

"Dammit, Elena, you didn't have to hit me so hard!"

Elena grinned apologetically at Roxy, rubbing the back of her head.

"Sorry, Rox! I just went a little crazy I guess!" she laughed, glowing from her clear victory over the girl. The Turks were sitting in a shaded area of the huge combat grounds, whilst the blistering heat of Midgar beat down on the unlucky seniors who were fighting each other. It was Elena's fifth win.

As she was gulping down water, a soft, yet strong voice came from behind her.

"4427."

She jumped and saluted immediately at the use of her registration number. She turned sharply to be met with the towering figure of Rude of the Turks. She gulped at his impressive height, her eye line only meeting his middle.

"Sir, yes, sir?" she barked, and Rude's glasses stared at her.

"Tseng would like to see how you fare against fighting males," he said shortly. Elena nodded, dropping her salute and watching in awe of his presence. Rude nodded and turned on his heel, going back to his seat with the Turks. Elena looked around at the other pairs sparring, as a young man she knew by 3254 came towards her. She smiled brightly at him.

"Hi! I'm Elena," she said heartily, throwing her hand out to shake. He regarded her with distaste, before he said,

"Hi. I'm a guy who's been reduced to sparring with a girl. A tiny girl at that." Elena dropped her hand and quirked a brow.

Stepping back, she pulled her leather fighting gloves back on and poised herself, ready to fight, digging her boots into the sandy ground and breathing deeply. She felt her hands shake a little as the Turks' gazes strayed from other sparring matches to her and 3254 every so often.

And then she was fighting. She landed a punch on his nose, dodged, leapt and slid around the course, attacking and defending as she went. The guy was strong – stronger than the people she had ever fought. He was quick too – matching her punches and kicks, allowing her to land only a few hits. She was tiring quickly too, as he was keeping her moving constantly to avoid his strong punches.

Without warning, he lashed out and grabbed her ankle, swinging her round, and slamming her onto the ground. She swore as pain ricocheted through her side, and pushed herself back up swiftly. The guy smirked. Rubbing her face, Elena leapt at him, and feigned a kick, before jabbing his neck with the side of her hand, cutting off his air. Using this to her advantage, she landed a kick in his stomach, completely winding him as he buckled over.

Leaping out of the way, she slid back, not noticing as he lashed out and grabbed her ankle again, making her lose her balance. As she stumbled, he regained his breath and ran forth, trying to land a punch. Elena managed to block, but she was slowing down and the fight needed to end. She glanced at the Turks, to see Reno on his feet, hands cupped around his mouth yelling.

"4427! He's a _guy_!" he screeched. Elena frowned, before she realised what Reno was implying. She feigned a punch to his face, before steadying herself and landing a harsh kick between his legs. He buckled over, and Elena punched him hard on the jaw, before pressing her finger to his neck and knocking him out completely.

She stood back, beaming, hands on hips and shaking her hair from her eyes. It had fallen out of her hair tie during the fight and was sticking to her sweaty shoulders. She breathed deeply, and drank down more water. She glanced over at the Turks to see them leaving. She frowned. She'd hoped for at least an acknowledgement of what she'd done.

In the locker room, she put her shampoo in her locker, nothing but her towel tied round in a makeshift dress. She sighed and leant against her locker, fingering her dog tag softly. She shut her eyes, and prayed that the Turks thought she was impressive, a potential candidate.

"Y'know, Turks keep their guard up, even when they have their eyes closed."

"Shit!" Elena screeched, clasping her towel closer to her body and looking up to see the smirking face of Reno of the Turks. His eyes glittered with an unmistakable sense of menace amongst those green hues. Elena's eyes widened. "Uh... you're in the girl's locker room."

"I'm a Turk. I can go _anywhere_ I want... except for Hojo's lab... he banned me from it on account of I let his last experiment loose when I tried to walk him. In my defence, it looked a _helluva_ lot like a dog," Reno said, eyes shining with mirth. Elena smiled softly at his disjointed speech and nodded.

"So... you did a pretty good job today, rookie," he said, his voice cocky as always. Elena raised a brow.

"Did Tseng think so?" she asked eagerly, while still clutching her towel tighter. Reno shrugged, still leaning against the locker.

"Don't think I'm liable to tell you that. Top secret Turk opinions and whatever," he said, winking. Elena scowled.

"Then why are you here?" she questioned, hoisting her towel up. Reno smirked and leant closer, so his nose was almost brushing her own. Elena's cheeks tinted cherry blossom pink and she gulped.

"Relax... I came to give you a little... _friendly_ advice," he murmured, his eyes hypnotising. Elena nodded slightly, her grip on her towel so tight, her knuckles were white. She watched, as though time had slowed down, as he raised his hand slowly and grasped a long length of her dripping white blonde hair between two fingers. He twirled it a moment, his eyes glancing over before he smirked.

"If you wanna be a Turk, you're gonna have to go under the knife," he muttered sadistically, mimicking scissor movements with his two fingers. He grinned brightly, before pulling away from the towelled young girl and blowing her a hasty kiss.

"See ya later, rookie. Oh!" he stopped as he began to turn past the locker, and turned to her. "A name?"

Elena blinked and nodded, her throat dry as a desert, and shook her hair from her eyes.

"E-.. Elena," she croaked, overwhelmed by Reno's mere presence. His eyes tightened and his Cheshire cat grin slid across his face.

"Laney, huh? See ya around, _Laney_," he winked again, and digging his hands into his pockets, sauntered away, whistling a menacing tune as he went. When she heard the door of the locker room shut, Elena let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding the whole time.

She sank to the floor, sliding down the locker until her grip on the towel loosened and she shook off her light-headedness. Her eyes hardened as she reached up and curled a lock of her long hair around her finger. She gulped.

She knew what came next. If she wanted to be a Turk.

And she would do _anything_ to be a Turk.

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><p><em>When friends are futile, enemies are the only things you have.<em>

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading (: A big thank you to RenoLuvver, who basically beta'd this for me (: She's a lord. Serious. Reviews are love (: <strong>


	3. Scissors

**Dark Suits.**

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><p><strong>iii. soul meets soul on lovers' lips.<strong>

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><p>She had used nail scissors and a shard of broken glass to do the deed. Locks of white blonde littered the bathroom floor, and her hair was bobbed in a pixie short cut, accentuating high cheekbones and a dainty nose.<p>

When she had left the bathroom, she was met with stares and whispers, as well as heated glares amongst those who knew the Turks favoured her. She smiled brightly in response, and marvelled over how much lighter she felt without all that hair weighing her down.

Weeks passed with no news or proposals from the Turks, and slowly but surely, the glimmer in Elena's heart began to weaken and dampen. But she kept her training up, running laps every night until the floodlights went out, fighting more and more males in the combat ground and practicing her sharp shooting until her fingers ached and her back wobbled.

Nothing.

She was in the firing range, putting bullets in wood, missing the direct bulls-eye by the same damned 0.999mm every time. Her forehead was sweaty and her fingers were red, but she carried on, refusing to give up. Suddenly, a voice rang out in the otherwise empty training ground.

"Whoa. You actually went and did it!"

Elena's grip on the rifle loosened and the bullet hit the floor, bouncing back up to knock out a light. She wheeled around to raise hell on whoever had put her off, when her mouth fell open.

Reno of the Turks were smirking at her from the back wall of the firing range, vivid red hair sucking up all the colour in the room. His eyes glittered maliciously.

"What?" Elena asked stupidly, dumbfounded. He snickered, and began to walk closer to her, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette stump.

"I said, you actually cut your hair. You really wanna be a Turk, huh?" he added thoughtfully, arriving beside her and taking a long drag.

"More than anything," she said softly, turning back to the range and firing.

"Dammit," she hissed, reloading as the target mocked her once more. Reno nodded, and put his cigarette out on the floor, before gesturing for Elena to give him the gun. She did so without question, and he hoisted the rifle up. In seconds, every single target had been shattered, dead on the bulls-eye. Elena watched, mystified, and furious.

"How the hell do you do that?" she demanded, snatching the rifle back from him and taking aim. Reno laughed, before stepping close behind her. Elena gulped as he leant in closer, so close she could feel the tight outline of his muscular torso pressing into her back. His arm came around, and lifted her left elbow ever so slightly, whilst tilting the head of the gun less than a fraction of a millimetre. Elena scoffed silently.

"Try it now," he said huskily, never moving from her side. Elena paused and fired, hardly daring to breathe as her bullet sailed straight through and hit the target dead centre. She almost fainted.

"I did it. I did it!" she yelled joyously, turning and throwing her arms around Reno's shoulders, the rifle falling to the floor, forgotten. Only when the Turk hugged her back, did she realise she had just leapt on a _Turk_, and she dropped her hands, her blush rivalling the colour of aubergine."S-Sorry, sir," she muttered. Reno raised a brow, his grin smooth with that hint of danger.

"It's Reno, rookie. Don't forget it," he said, watching her with those catlike eyes, his grip never loosening from her waist. Elena looked up into his face, her honey hued eyes attempting to match his powerful glare, and he licked his lips slowly.

Elena could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage, and the silence in the room was so thick, a knife could have sliced clean through it. Without a word, Reno's face drew closer, so his nose was touching her own. Elena willed herself to calm down.

"Relax, Laney. I wouldn't hurt a fly. Well... unless that fly did something to upset Shinra," he said, eyes glittering. Without letting a moment pass, he bent his head the full way, pressing his lips against her own. Bemused, Elena responded, her body working without the will of her mind. Reno's lips were bruised and cracked, and they hurt a little as they moved roughly against her own, but some part of her didn't want him to stop.

Abruptly, he pulled away, his eyes still glimmering with merriment, Elena's drugged with a strange lustfulness she'd never felt before.

He walked away from her, lighting another cigarette and watching the shooting ground carefully. Elena blinked, her brain finally catching up with what had just happened.

"Why the hell did you just do that?" she demanded, her face flaming red, her hands trembling as she clenched them into angry fists. Reno didn't even glance up, fiddling with his lighter. Elena stepped forth an inch, then retreated, making odd gaping noises as she tried to make intelligible words leave her lips.

A _Turk_ had just _kissed _her! For no reason _whatsoever_, and then just shrugged it off like he did it all the time! Elena's eyes narrowed. Did he do it all the time? She wouldn't be surprised if Reno was a womanizer, the way he acted. But he'd _kissed_ her! _Kissed_! And that was her first...

"Reno!" she yelped, sounding like a helpless animal. He glanced up then, and smirked, taking a drag and blowing blue smoke from his nostrils and mouth, before replacing the cigarette on his lip again. Elena's entire body felt like it was about to burn up.

"Uh huh?" he asked quizzically, watching her with mirth dancing in his eyes. Elena made a choking noise once more, before asking, in her calmest voice,

"Reno. Why did you just kiss me?"

She cursed the waver in her words, but bit her lip hard and watched him intently. He tilted his head a little, looking like a puppy trying to discern what its owner was doing, before he laughed brightly.

"What? I was just checking to see if you took _everything_ I said to heart. Obviously not – I mean, you can't be a Turk if you let your guard drop like that," he replied easily, walking a little closer again. Elena felt a new wave of fury hit her. How dare he question her want to be a Turk? Hadn't she told him she wanted it more than anything? She was about to bite back a reply, when she reminded herself exactly who this man was. He was an assassin for Leviathan's sake, and she was mouthing off to him? Better to let him have his fun, if only to win his favour. Reno was talking again, leaning in close once more, grinning broadly as he said,

"That and you're super cute." Elena shoved him away this time, face burning once more, a heavy frown etched on her pretty face.

"Whatever," she muttered, going over to the barrier of the shooting range and leaning against it. The room was silent for a moment before Reno stomped out his cigarette, and Elena inhaled the last of the foggy, husky scent of the thing. He moved to her side, and after she shimmed away a little, he grinned.

"Jeez, I promise I won't do it again. Just take a pill and calm down! Are you always like this?" he remarked, a laugh in the back of his throat. Elena tried to uphold her scowl, but his joking tone drew a sigh from her and she shook her head.

"I'm not normally kissed by random guys, Reno," she said bluntly, earning a bark of laughter from him. He nodded, gazing out at the splintered targets, and toying with a ring on his finger. Without warning, he turned his head slowly and raised a brow.

"Tell me, Laney," he said slowly. "Why d'you wanna be a Turk so bad?"

Elena frowned, and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, wearing her lip a little with her teeth.

"AVALANCHE... killed my family."

Reno didn't seem stunned by this in the slightest, and his next smile was bitter, Elena thought.

"Huh. Yeah. Lotta people think Shinra's the only bad guys. Shit, they weren't complainin' when we were givin' them electricity to warm up their homes and look after their families. Think the sun shines outta the AVALANCHE member's asses," he said, his tone different than that of anything Elena had heard leave his lips before.

Elena's father had worked for Shinra. They lived in Icicle Village. Her father wasn't a CEO, he wasn't a department head, hell he'd never even been to Midgar. He moved Mako stocks into big trucks that took it to Midgar. He never hurt anyone in his life – that's how she remembered him, anyway.

AVALANCHE. They originated in Icicle Village – they caused a huge avalanche one day when they blew up a Mako plant on the outskirts of the village. So, they victoriously named themselves AVALANCHE. In all their victory, they didn't stop to think about the twenty houses that had been swallowed up, or about the people they'd killed in that avalanche. No, they were fighting for the planet.

Elena remembered that night clearer than anything else. AVALANCHE decided they'd go teach Shinra a lesson. Kill off all their workers, making Mako exports from Icicle Village impossible. Her father hid her in the log hut out front, but he couldn't get to her sisters in on time. The AVALANCHE guys dragged Elena's father, mother and two sisters outside. Took out their knives and cut them little by little until the snow was pink, and they were dead. When a Turk named Veld came to investigate, he found her and brought her to SAGA.

"I want to be a Turk, so I can teach those eco-terrorists a lesson. That through their 'heroic' deeds, they're killing innocent people..."

"Your reason's pretty decent. Y'know what Cissnei said first time I asked her? 'I dunno,'" Reno rolled his eyes, and shot Elena a dashing grin. She frowned. Dragging those memories up had only worsened her mood – and Reno, no matter how hard he tried to suggest otherwise, had still unlawfully stolen a kiss from her. She sighed and pulled back from the barrier, leaning to the side.

"Yeah, well. If I get this shot nailed, who knows?" Elena said, picking the rifle up. She glanced at Reno a moment, to see him watching her carefully, before he too pushed himself from the barrier and shook his red head.

"Nah, we're not interested in a new Turk," Reno said coolly. Elena's arms dropped and she turned to face him, her eyes steely.

"So what was the point in any of this?" she demanded, gesturing between the two of them and at her hair. Reno shrugged, and snickered.

"Maybe Tseng was bored?"

"Get out, Reno," she snapped in reply, turning the range and ignoring him harshly. He laughed, a bark of a laugh and began to retreat.

"The more I get to know you Laney-"

"Elena. My name is Elena."

He laughed again, really chuckled at her sharp tone, and Elena clenched her fists, unwilling to become angry.

"The more I get to know you,_ Laney_ – the more I think you just might be cut out to be a Turk after all," he said lightly, before turning on his heel and leaving the training ground. Elena only turned after the door slammed behind him. She should be focusing on becoming a Turk, not fretting over weird new emotions that some red-headed idiot who had way with words evoked within her. Her cheeks become hot once again as she thought of the kiss and how tender he had started it.

She told herself to ignore it, to just give the hammering of her heart over to the fact she'd nailed a shot. Then, she cursed Reno and his wiles to hell, before firing a perfect shot in every single one of the targets.

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><p><em>When friends are futile, enemies are the only thing you have.<em>

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading (: A big thank you to RenoLuvver, who basically beta'd this for me (: She's a lord. Serious. Reviews are love (:<strong>


	4. Dark Suit

**Dark Suits.**

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><p><strong>vi. courage is the power to let go of the familiar.<strong>

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><p>Three months passed, before Elena was tapped on the shoulder in the dining hall by a Wutainese man, with beautiful eyes and shiny dark hair. His suit was dark, and it seemed to shimmer as he walked. Tseng's expression was grim – but Elena's heart skipped a beat anyway. She nodded at him, before he drew her out into the hall without a word.<p>

"Reno has been injured," he said shortly, the darkness under his eyes becoming apparent to Elena in the bright lights of the entrance hall. Elena tried to ignore the twisting in her gut, and the thoughts of irrational worry swarming her mind.

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir," she said, ignoring the sickness in her stomach and focusing on Tseng intently. "Not badly, I hope?"

"He won't walk for a good month. He's already agitated. And 4427, I would ask you call me Tseng, in return for your own name," he said smartly, a soft smile playing on the edges of his lips. Elena's heart did a somersault, and she tried to remain calm.

"Elena, si- Tseng," she said unsurely, his name foreign on her tongue. He nodded his head and put his hand out for her to shake.

"Well then. I would like to welcome you to the Turks, Elena. That is, if you are willing?" he said, smiling at her, whilst keeping an air of decorum present in his eyes. Elena almost fainted, and grasped onto Tseng's outstretched hand for support.

"Yes... yes! Totally willing! Yes, I won't let you down, Tseng!" she said breathlessly, shaking his hand harshly. With that, Tseng pulled a sheet of paper from the inside pocket of his jacket, and a pen.

"Your contract," he said sharply, handing her the pen. "Sign your name on the dotted line, and then... well. You've sold your soul to Shinra."

Elena took the pen in trembling fingers and signed her name with a flourish.

"My soul belonged to Shinra the second Veld carried me here," she said under her breath, handing Tseng his pen back, and nodding her head, her smile splitting her face. Tseng pocketed the contract, and began walking outside.

"I took the liberty of moving your bags to your new Shinra apartment. You will receive a pay check at the end of each week on a fixed sum. You will report to work every morning at 9.00am sharp. You will report to me after you have completed a mission. You will be required to wear your uniform at all times. You're being fitted for it now, if you would like to follow me. If I tell you to do something," he smiled at her as he opened the car door for her, "you will do it."

The tailor pinned her jacket here and there, and before long, Elena stood looking at herself, dressed in the infamous dark suit, and refused to believe this was actually happened. It had all happened in a matter of minutes! One second she'd been eating cereal, the next, Tseng had asked her to join the Turks. She was a Turk.

She had done it.

When she had asked Tseng in the car why he had chosen her, he had told her plainly.

"Your skills far surpass that of your classmates. Your espionage was impressive, and Rude found your hand to hand skilful and careful. That, and you have no family."

"No family?" Elena asked slowly, watching Tseng carefully. He smiled, and Elena felt her heart jump to her throat at how handsome he was. He nodded and tapped something in on his phone. As he held it to his ear, Elena heard it ringing, and he said,

"Yes. You know, the Turks motto leaves a vital point out, if you ask me. Obviously it's as old as the Turks have been protecting Shinra, so I can't very well change it. But if you ask me, you're perfectly suited. So you have nothing to worry about."

Elena tugged at the hem of her jacket, and holstered her guns on either side of her stomach, vowing to be the best Turk she could be.

After all, she had the motto down.

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><p><em>When friends are futile, and family are naught but ploys – enemies are the only things you have.<em>

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><p><strong>Thank you very much for reading (: A big final thankyou to RenoLuvver for her fearless concrit, that saved this little thing (; Check her out, if you dare (: As always, reviews are truly love (: <strong>


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